


Little White Lines

by orphan_account



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Scars, Tarsus IV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-25
Updated: 2013-07-25
Packaged: 2017-12-21 08:23:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/898085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bones finds out about Tarsus IV one night on the too small bed in the captains' quarters</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little White Lines

Of course he noticed the little white lines that littered Jim’s skin. 

Most people had.

It didn’t take much effort to see the jagged line starting on the back of his neck that traveled down to his chest. 

His hands had them, mostly small ones, but they were noticeable. 

His back was the worst. The first time Bones saw it uncovered, he knew that there was one hell of a story that went with all of the scars. He was about to question Jim, when he turned around. The look in his eyes undeniably, ‘Maybe another night.’  
It took a few months for that night to come. 

When it happened, they were lying in Jim’s bed in the Captains’ quarters: the too small one that they’d grown quite fond of. Jim was lying on his stomach, arm thrown over Bones as Jim visibly fought off sleep. Bones was absentmindedly tracing the pathways of white along Jim’s back when the question slipped out of his mouth. 

“Jim, where’d you get all these scars from?” he asked, his voice sleepy (accentuating his southern drawl) and hushed. Jim’s eyes automatically shot open and he removed his arm from Bones’ waist as he sat up, making Bones’ hand drop from his back to his hip. 

That certainly woke him up. 

Judging by the look on Jim’s face, Bones knew he made a big mistake. “Jim I didn-”

“No,” Jim interrupted him, his voice more alert, “No. This is something I need to tell you.” 

And that’s what he did. 

That night, on the too small bed in the Captains’ quarters, Jim told Bones about a little boy who grew up much too fast. 

He told Bones about how happy everything was at first. How he was happy to finally be away from Frank. 

Then the crops started dying. Food started running out. Everyone slowly grew hungrier and hungrier. 

He told Bones about how his aunt and uncle had been part of the four thousand massacred by Governor Kodos and his men. 

He talked about how he, Tommy Leighton, and Kevin Reilly joined together and tried to stay alive. They were both much younger and smaller than Jim, so whenever they got the least amount of food, Jim always made sure they got the best parts. 

He talked about the forced labor they were put through. The beatings they underwent when they didn’t listen to Kodos’ men. 

It was terrifying. There were nights when Jim had to come to terms with his inevitable death. Whether it be by starvation or exhaustion from many hours of forced labor. 

He remembered how by the time they were rescued; he could count every one of his ribs, how half of Tommy’s face was burnt, and how the men carried away Kevin, minutes away from death. 

“Thank you Jimmy,” Tommy said that night, as they lay uncomfortable upon bio beds in an unfamiliar starship. “Thanks for takin’ care of me and Kev.”

And Bones listened to every word he said. 

“It finally makes sense, you know, your missin’ medical files and the nightmares. Dammit Jim! Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner!” Bones said, trying to wrap his head around all the new information. 

“It’s not the easiest thing to talk about. Do you know how many times I almost died on that planet? God, everywhere you looked, someone was bound to be lying there dead. I had to bury too many people, Bones. Over six thousand!” Jim cried, his voice getting louder with every sentence. 

And that’s when he broke down. 

Jim’s body shook with the pained sobs. “I t-tried to save them, Bones. I really did…” He trailed off at the end.

“It’s not your fault, Jim. Please don’t blame yourself for their deaths.” Bones implored, gathering Jim into his arms. 

That night Jim let out everything he’d been bottling up about Tarsus IV. He showed Bones all of his scars and told him the stories that went along with them. 

And to Bones, Jim had never looked more beautiful than he did that night.


End file.
